Dawnforge
Dawnforge, also known as the birth continent, is a major continent in Starsong. It is in the centre of the known world and the continent to which all others surround. Most locations are defined by how close or far they are from Dawnforge. It is home to Dwarves, Elves and Men. Smaller races often find themselves here, but the majority are the Three. It was previously known as Askaria after the Shattering which shaped Lidelas and Belisaere into multiple smaller continents. It was renamed during the Age of Magic. Geography Dawnforge is varied in both terrain and topography, sharing the lands with multiple races and monsters. There is no single dominant feature of Dawnforge, but each region is defined by who inhabits it and its ecology. The North - The Frostfall A region of wilderness, tundra, vicious crag-ridden hills and mountains. It is home to two breeds of Dwarf; Iron and Gold. It is the coldest region of Dawnforge, but has a great abundance of natural and magical minerals. During the early times of the Age of Magic, warring Jotun and Dragons tore up the landscape, changing it drastically. The Cloudkiss The aptly named Cloudkiss Peaks are a series of mountains and valleys that are connected through Burrows through and under each mountain. Naturally the mountains are freezing cold, but the Iron dwarves live underneath them. The name comes from the central mountains that are as tall if not taller than any clouds above. The area contains; * Kragal'du-el: The capital of the North, ancestral home of all Iron Dwarves. * Kyndale: Large trading city that borders the Blind, the Lowlands and the Cloudkiss. * Tenn'kin: Military garrison. * Lylorn: The dominant port-town of the Frostfall. * The Tortured Mountain: Adorned by skeletons of defeated giants, strange monsters lurk within. * The High Forest: On the side of the Tortured Mountain, joining with Tenn'kin and Silvermoon Falls. * The Silver Marches: Stretch of frozen rivers, forests and hills leading to the coast. * Moonwood: A large forest opposite the Netherwood, where Night Trees grow. * The Lonely Song: A temple on the outskirts of the Netherwood and Moonwood. * Netherwood: The monks of the Blackblood come from here, deep in the black woods. Demons once lived here, and may still. * Silvermoon Falls: * Karak-Adbar * Karak-Feldspar The Drop A series of mountains and cliffs where Iron Dwarves make their homes on plateaus or under them. The regions name comes from the treacherous nature of the place, alongside several stretches of Puzzlestone where communities connect over deadly drops called earthmotes. The area contains; * Arlathan: Sister-town to Dirthamen, they are separated by a ravine. Mostly Dwarves within. * Dirthamen: Sister-town to Arlathan, they are separated by a ravine. Mostly Halflings and Gnomes within. * Raumvira: The basin that is formed near the Howling Mountains. The people here are very superstitious. * The Howling Mountains: The largest of the mountains near the coast and the Cloudkiss. * Darrawn: Major town of Raumvira. * Court of Rorn: The central Howling Mountain, where the titan Rorn rests. * Blackhold: A gate in a chokepoint of the Howling Mountains, protecting Raumvira. * Old Night: Subterranean stronghold. * Dragonbones: A pit in the center of the Howling Mountains, where they claim ice dragons go to die. * Stroud: Fortress overlooking the Court of Rorn. * The Wasted End: A fallen mountain that serves as a collection of steppes with a diverse geography of mountains, frozen forest, glacier and tundra. Tribes roam within near the Thorn. The Thorn A primarily untouched region of the North, it is a land of myth where fear spreads easily. It is a highly unnatural piece of the Old World, where forests and valleys covered in snow and ice dip into exposed pieces of the Underdark. The area contains; * Arbor: A defensive fortress built on the cusp of the Muckrun. * The Muckrun Marsh: A frost-bitten basin that defies the laws of nature, growing a thick, dark swamp. * Marrauk: A large earthmote-built city. * Freethay: A land to the north of the Blind surrounding Marrauk. * Mreyelundar: An empty city, the story goes that Gnomes tried to settle it but the entire population disappeared overnight. Adventurers and treasure hunters typically stay on the outside at Fort Rimlost. * Fort Rimlost: Outside of Mreyelundar, a large dragon-fire scorched fort. Serves as a coastal town. * The Glaur Barrens: Once home to the might Glaur Titans, now a mix of earthmotes, plaguelands and strange metallic ruins. Connects to the Wasted End of the Drop. * Velandilmur: Home to the exiled Wild Dwarves, practicing blood sorcery and waiting for the end times. Or so they claim. * Darkseed: Home to the fabled Chaos Druids and what many claim to be the last Pale Sphinx. The Blind Valleys and crag-ridden hills rule the Blind, the name comes from the shadows that stretch from the mountains above. A length of tundra connects it to the Lowlands, while hills connect it to the Rolling Hills and the Jade Gate. The area contains; * Vinheim: A city primarily host to students of the Dragon School, it is a perfect example of why wizard aren't in charge. * Drang: The fortress of Drang, known for its shieldless warriors, stands near the Jade Gate and welcomes those from Oolacile. * Chillhome: A town suspended over an active volcano. * Marathon: The tundra that rolls into the coast. * Kragal-Dukkaln: Major port-city near Vinheim. * Rasharak: A frozen desert where barbarians and Orcs roam. * Dun-Tharos: A barrow that was once home to a brutal Dwarf tribe, and that their god-born leader is buried here. The place is haunted by restless spirits. * Mount Valthurg: The only mountain in the Blind, it is an inactive volcano. The Lowlands A series of tundra, hills and fortresses, the Gold Dwarves live here, trading with those of the West and beyond. The area contains; * The Icewind Dale: Home to the Ten-Towns, a confederation of minor settlements around Alwayswinter. * Winterwatch: A large trading fort on the cusp of the Rolling Hills. * Zundbridge: A bridge-town across River Dilembyr. * Teskroil: A farming town famous for its blue-apples and cider. * Corv: Ancestral home of all Kenku from Dawnforge. Built atop a cathedral from the Old World. * Alwayswinter: A magocratic city of wizards and merchants known for its high technology. The capital of the Ten-Towns. * Shaengarne: Ancestral home of the Halfling family, Bullroarer. * Three-Spires: Three towers that delve deep underground, where dungeons full of rare minerals can be found. * Goodmead: Home to the infamous Gnomish Vodka, it is a settlement of Gnomes. * Lonelywood: A town on the borders of the Icewind, apparently anything can be bought or sold here. Even assassins. * Karak-Konig: A town priding itself on its warrior history, but now serves as a fishing settlement. * River Dilembyr: Twin-river of Dualdon through the Dale. * River Dualdon: Twin-river of Dilembyr through the Dale. * Yurberg's Oak: Large forest in the middle of the Dale. * Yeshelmaar: A series of treacherous earthmotes connecting the edge of the Blind towards Vinheim. The Underdark creeps up to the surface here. The West - The Westerlands A region of wetlands, forests and hills, the Westerlands are the most fertile region of Dawnforge. While all men of Dawnforge answer to the Sword King, they are split amongst vassals and duchies. Their laws and customs depend on their lords and ladies. The area contains; * The Sargasso: A large inland bay that connects the Rolling Hills and the Crownlands. The Crownlands A coastline of forests, ruins and trading towns. Most notable of all is Gransys, the capital of the Westerlands. It is home to the Crownlanders, the most common breed of Dawnforger human. The area contains; * Gransys: The capital of the Westerlands and most of humanity, as a port-city it is a major trading hub and bastion of humanity. It is the second largest city in Starsong. * The Duchy of Vaark: A land ruled by House Vaarkis. * Otan: * The Heart: * Bowshot: A town a "bow's shot" away from the Misty Forest and the Trollclaw Ruins. * The Misty Forest: * Trollclaw Ruins: * Candlekeep: A coastal citadel of learning, run by Magisters of the Venarium. The learning is valuable but only open to a certain few who show the aptitude to become Magisters or the Avowed. The Rolling Hills A series of hills ranging from gently sloping to grossly gargantuan, it is home to the Hillfolk where knightly values and their control over minerals are their greatest assets. The area contains: * The Duchy of Silver: A land ruled by House Silverlaine. * Cassardis: Under the Duchy of Silver, it is House Silverlaine's ancestral home and the only place in Dawnforge where silver is regularly found. * Redsill: Under a smaller house within the Duchy, the town is built on a red hill. * Nimbral: A town connected to the Bright Isle, it is a picturesque city of knights and wizards, studying the ways of combat. * Havolov: A fortress and magocracy of Hillfolk that serve as defenders against creatures from the nearby Thorn. * The Golden Way: A series of hills connected to the Lowlands, it is host to gold mines and Gnomish ruins. * Ubersriek: Large port-city, host to a massive sulfur mine. The Riverlands A land split by rivers and divided by swamps, those of the Riverlands are the primary suppliers of food to the rest of the Westerlands. Not only this but a large amount of druids make their home here, protecting the realm. The area contains * The Duchy of Avalon: Possibly the smallest Duchy, they are Talanites and godly men and women, who raise those in their lands to follow their tenets; be Good, be Kind, be Strong. * Vinland: Ancestral home of House Avalon. * Furrows: The largest town within the Dale. * The Great Dale: A collection of farmlands and family-towns above the Beard. * The Beard: A group of vein-like rivers and swamps that form a beard-like shape. * Vaasa: A bridge-town across the Beard. * Luiren: Ancestral home of the Babblebrook family of Halflings. The Stormlands A coastline of rough hills, vicious waters and trade towns. Those of the Stormlands are hardy, and rely on trade to survive. They, like the Wildlanders, are a tribal people, but mostly in respect to the ocean and whatever Cragsmen parties they form. The area contains; * The Duchy of Cairn: Less of a duchy and more of a collection of lords that rule each Stormlander town. * Crestwood: Cairn ancestral home, found across a lake of Blakalk trees in an island's centre. * Volgen: Largest trading town in the Stormlands, hosts a vital trading route to Muraska and Gransys. * Vindelt: Sister-town to Volgen, borders Kenethari. * Moonshame: A lighthouse that "puts the Moon to shame" with its ghastly glow. Apparently operated by ghosts. * Blackfeather: A burrow where families of Kenku reside near the Moonshame. The Wildlands A series of forests, hills and valleys the Wildlands are a vicious place where Wildlanders, unaided, serve as a vanguard against monsters and beasts. Within are duchies but most villages are formed by tribes of monster hunters and adventurers. It is infested with goblins and monsters. The area contains; * The Duchy of Cran: A large conglomerate of warrior-tribes, House Cran is best remembered for being stalwart warriors. * The Duchy of Belmont: A group of towns relying on the trade of monster-hunting to survive, they make their gold from whats within said monsters. * Drawn Swords: A town under both Cran and Belmont, while Cran does not have an ancestral home it shares this one with Belmont. The town is mostly uninhabited unless hunters need safety. * Ironford: A mining and lumber town, home to the nigh-indestructible Lexen wood. Apparently used for airships. * Aldia's Keep: A large section of shaded woods and ruins, apparently once home to a mad alchemist. * Netheril: * The Ride: A series of steppes and vast hills. * The Well of Dragons: An inactive volcano within the Ride. * The Reaching Woods: On the edge of the Ride, connects to Kenethari. The South - Sothiriel An untamed region of jungles, valleys and isles, it is home to the Mistai breed of High Elves. They live in isolation within small towns and villages. Despite living in separate colonies and ways of living, they all pay homage to King Anduril, and let him decide their laws and make judgements based on their lifestyles. Kenethari A large forest dominates the region, but splits off into swamp, hills, grassy flatlands and a valley. These define the borders between Kadania, the Bright Isle and Maliaguras. It is the trading hub of Sothiriel, and those within are artisans, craftsmen and merchants. The area contains; * Wildhide Ridge: A large series of hills separating the Stormlands from Kenethari. Host to many goblin legions. * Kolakura: Small settlement of druids and oddly enough, bards. * Tylathel: * Aspenbrook: The largest town in Kenethari, it is a trading town and contains a school for the arcane. * School of the Terullion: Arcane academy within Aspenbrook. * Lake Evermeet: * Ankorill: Large garrison. * Shilmist: The ancient forest between Kenethari and Maliguras. Contains verdant farmland and many shrines to old gods. * The Bed of Kings: A large valley surrounded by flatlands. The faces of old lords have been carved into the walls, hence the name. The Bright Isle A series of isles, forests and villages surround lakes and rivers. The closer the forest is to the lakes, the brighter the light the leaves seem to emit. Old pacts with Fey Lords appear to be the reason, but these same pacts poisoned lakes and created hateful dryads. Those of the Bright Isle have a deeper connection to the Feywild, and many of them seek mastery over their physical form. Druids and monks make up their numbers. The area contains; * The Lake of Poison: One of the curses brought upon by the Fey Lords, an entire lake of poisoned water. * The Cursewood: One of the curses brought upon by the Fey Lords, an innumerable amount of monsters lurk within, but also an abundance of naturally occuring magical resources. Connects the Bright Isle to Kenethari. * School of the Twin Serpents: A fighting school dedicated to the Twin Serpents Zuoken and Zaruxel. * The Fainwood: A large rainforest centered around a swamp-basin that connects the Bright Isle to the Jade Gate. * Silvenar Vale: A valley that connects Allindor and the Wildlands to the Bright Isle. * The Sunken Keep: Ancient ruin at the bottom of the Fainwood. * The Ziggurat of the Still: Temple in the middle of the Lake of Poison. * Zivec: A town by the edge of the Lake of Poison, the School of Twin Serpents is within. * Therinfal: Small town within the Fain, those within are druids and magisters. * Par Vollen: A town on the edge of Kenethari and the Bright Isle, it is a military garrison. * Arang Yasolva: A Dragonborn estate under Clan Nonchanteau. The Jade Gate The name comes from the Jade Trees, each over sixty feet tall and of startling jade green. The Gate is a massive Elf kingdom from the Old World, which separates the Blind from the Jade Gate. Pine forests slope down hills which surround basins, grassy flatlands and the Veil of Maya. It is the coldest region of the South in a humid continental climate. Those of the Gate are not always Elves but traders, mercenaries and wayfarers of mixed race. The majority of half-Elves reside here. The area contains; * The Veil of Maya: A vale of rolling knolls, vast stretches of forested wilderness and river valleys. * Leuthilspar: The ancient, half-buried Elf city. * Athkatla * Crimmor * Faraam: Home to the Wolf Knights, a group of elite Elven warriors. * River Ardulith: Major tributary into Sothiriel. * The Spellhold of Lamir: A citadel of mages, once host to the summoners of demons. * Andrastria: A stretch of fields and forest, dipping in and out of the coastline. Maliaguras Within Maliaguras is a temperate rainforest that spreads near the coast. Further within lies a series of ruins, heading towards the more arid Witchwood. The Witchwood surrounds the capital of Ral'eldas in a dry summer climate. Beyond this lies wetlands and flatlands into the conjoined regions. Those of Maliaguras are often scholars, hunters of magic and pursuers of information. The area contains; * Ral'eldas: The capital of Sothiriel and home to King Anduril the Imlirith. * Emeraldgrave: A town whose smoke is a shade of emerald green, hence the name. * Skyhold * Bluemoon Tower * Moonsbit Pass: A canyon into Old Kadania. * Gran Soren: A defensive fortress between Maliaguras and the border between the Heretic's Gap and the Ashlands. * Zhufbar * The Witchwood: A large forest that dominates most of Maliguras. * Melkor's Hills: A series of hills past the east of Ral'eldas and into Moonsbit Pass. Old Kadania A stretch of swamps past rainforest where a canyon splits Kadania from Stygia, and a forest from the Heretic's Gap. It is a region dotted with rolling hills, impassable marshes and monster-filled forests. Isolated villages and hamlets stand alongside trading stops and lonely castles. Those of Kadania are often Shicts, wild Elves from the Heretic's Gap. The area contains; * Ujavar: A small town dedicated to pleasures of soul and flesh. * The Spider Swamp: Large swamp that encompasses the edge of the Heretic's Gap. Druids harvest poisonous spiders here. * Almraven: * Copperlily: A town on the edge of the Spider Swamp, * Suphala: * Greycloak Hills: These desolate, grey-clay hills held a labryinth of burrows and tunnels within. * Hollowroot: Under the Greycloak Hills lies the Hollowroot Forest, a subterranean chasm alive with monsters. * Bloomingpool: Vast marshland full of noxious sulfurous pools. The East - The Dread East The aptly named Dread East is a land ridden by plague and horrors. It is a land of exiles, where the cursed and monstrous find themselves in. It is a land of a dry, sickly climate where hills scrape the sky and river valleys are burdened with monsters in the low. Isolated towns inbetween forests of stone host Easterlings, men and women who have adapted to their cruel home. Best not to use their name lightly. The area contains; * Nam-Lugal: An inland ocean within the Gap, the Hive and the Ashlands. Stories tell of something inside, drowned and forgotten. Dry climates Balkans Black sea Stygia A mountainous region, best described as salt and stone in one loving embrace, like that of a hateful child. Its borders are mountainous hills where nothing grows except dry, dead forests. The river valleys below are grey, full of this same heavy, black salt. Ruins of oily black stone tell tales of an ancient world, not much better than this one. Those who wander near claim that the mountains seem to "drink the light" and "breathe in shadow." The area contains; * The Valley of Defilement: A stretch of river valleys between rocky mountains and dead, petrified forests. Wraeclast Once home to Cragsmen seeking escape from the law, those of Wraeclast are orphans of the world. Tragedies, they call themselves. The rest of the world sees them as what they truly are; exiles and deserters, runaways and stowaways. Within is a cold, unforgiving climate where winding rivers roll beneath rocky knolls and arid, summer forests. Roaming beasts inhabit the many caves and men worst than them inhabit the hamlets. There is a popular saying within Wraeclast; "There's no practice past in the Wraeclast." Nothing is forbidden in that lonely, dark, cold place. The area contains; * Olaphis: The supposed capital of Wraeclast, a mountainous city of ex-magi, scholars of dark arts and exiles of the world. * Carcosa: * The Grey: * Cannibal bay: * Swallowsun: * Karak-Tagaez: * Djurad-Zasqa: * Berget's Rot: The Heretic's Gap Do you believe in paradise? In pain? In fear? In death? Then you know of the Gap. Home to the primordial Elves, the Greenshicts, whose life is war and nothing beyond. Their home is as cruel as they. On the outskirt is the blistering Blightbog, a swamp where the corpses of wanderers serve as a warning to all. Beyond that is a evil forest of trees at least a hundred feet tall. Monsters the size of castles roam The area contains; * The Blightbog * The Hurt * Ibben: * The Stain: Permanently bloodied * Whitetrees: The Hive A rather fitting name for a land with swollen earth, sickly with decay, where stone forests and plateaus of obsidian are the only way to avoid the Underdark from creeping below. Gaps of entire land exist between colonies, caused by landslides and sinkholes from the mad Drow below. The people grow accustomed to this, so they're as cursed as the land itself. Stories tell of Wraith Rivers, plain looking bodies of water that are illusions of the Drow; one wrong step and you're in the Underdark. The area contains; * Courland: Once the home of a united front of Gnomes and Halflings, until the Consumed King and the Queen of a Thousand Teeth sunk it into the dark below, claiming its riches and resources. * The Iron Keep * The Iron Waste * The Swollen: * The Rotten: The Ashlands Once a mighty kingdom, now in shambles, drowned in ash. The Consumed King, once a lowly Drokha mercenary, stole something from both the dragons and giants for his queen Mytha. Both races invaded and through that short, bloody war was the Ashlands swept into madness. Toxic clouds from the earth, rivers of lava ever-spewing from volcanoes and endless storms decimate the land. Those within worship this same destruction. They are Chaos. The area contains; * Raime: Home of the Fume Knights, worshippers of fire and smoke. * Yunshi: Home of the Baleful, worshippers of poison and toxin. * Alonne: Home of the Callers, worshippers of storms and lightning. * Manus: Once the seat of the Consumed King, now split into squabbling houses of Chaos. * Brume: A land of ash, dry and inhospitable near and around the Red Mountain. * Sadrith: A land of toxic, sulfurous waste. Borders the Hive near Courland. * Merethic: A land where storms roam claiming all for its godly embrace. * Grave of the Consumed King: * The Great Hollow: * Izalith: Once the birthplace of all God-Kings, a mighty tower surrounded by dragons. * The Chasm: The Free City of Allindor In the near-middle of Dawnforge is the Free City of Allindor, bordering the Wildlands, the Bright Isle and Kenethari. It is a state comprised of hills, forest and a swamp. The natural resources give Allindor enough to live without the help of the rest of Dawnforge, but they pride themselves on being adept merchants and mercenaries. The Underdark Un'golian The area contains; * City of Gol: